Barbara Windsor

Barbara Windsor who has been awarded the MBE is one of the best-loved and most famous women in the country. Her portrayal of Peggy Mitchell in Eastenders and her long showbiz career has earned her various awards including, BBC Personality of the Year, Best Actress from the National TV Soap Awards, The Manchester Evening News Best Soap Actress and two lifetime achievement awards from Inside Soap and the prestigious Women in Film and Television Awards.

A true Eastender, Barbara made her stage debut age 13 in pantomime. A year later she made her West End debut in the musical Love from Judy. She’s appeared on Broadway in “Oh What A Lovely War” and starred in London’s West End in “Fings Aint What They Used To Be”, “Sing A Rude Song”, “Come Spy With Me” and Threepenny Opera with Vanessa Redgrave.

Her many hundreds of TV appearances include the hit series The Rag Trade, Dads Army, Worzel Gummidge and One Foot In The Grave. She has appeared on every quiz and panel game show including being a regular judge on BBCs Star for a Night, and is a much sought after guest on chat shows ranging from Parkinson, Jonathan Ross to Paul O Grady. She was the subject of This Is Your Life, Best Of British and Hall Of Fame.

Barbara has appeared in numerous British films including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Boyfriend, Sparrers’Can’t Sing , but is best known for her Carry On Films. Her recording work includes several LP’s; a top 30 hit with Sparrers‘Can’t Sing and had a successful CD “You’ve Got A Friend”.

She has toured all over the world in plays and musicals, Maria in “Twelth Night”, Calamity in Calamity Jane, Miss Adelaide in Guy’s And Dolls and Kath in Entertaining Mr Sloane and is still one of the most sought after Pantomime stars in the UK.

Barbara played herself in Terry Johnson’s “Cor Blimey” on ITV, based on his play “Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle And Dick”, which won an Olivier Award making her the first living actor to be portrayed in a play.

Apart from appearing in the Royal Variety Show stopping number “You Gotta Have A Gimmick” alongside Cilla Black and Paul O Grady, she has also turned her hand to writing. Her autobiography “All Of Me” was number 2 in the best sellers list in both hard and paperback published by Hodder Headline.

Barbara was the subject of BBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are”, as well as a guest appearance in “Dr Who”.

Barbara celebrated her 70th Birthday in 2007. The occasion was marked with a special Radio 2 Music Night recorded live at The Hackney Empire to celebrate the music associated with her early theatre career. In 2009 Barbara was awarded A Lifetime Achievement Award at The British Soap Awards for her work in Eastenders and past contribution to television. In 2010 she was featured as the voice of The Dormouse in Tim Burton’s 3D feature film box office hit of "Alice in Wonderland”. Barbara has recently left Eastenders after 16 years of playing “Peggy Mitchell”, and since her departure in September 2010 has been the recipient of the prestigious 'Bernard Delfont Award for Outstanding Contribution to Show business' by the Variety Club of Great Britain, and a Life Time Achievement at The Tric Awards. And to Barbara’s amazement, she was also given “The Freedom of the City of London”.